Thousands of households in the Bristol region are impacted by the two-child benefit cap. In Bristol, 3,100 families were hit by the cap in the year to April – which is 61 per cent of all the households across the city that are claiming Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit (5,100).
In comparison, 1,200 households were impacted by the cap over in South Gloucestershire, which also represents 61 per cent of the total (2,000). In North Somerset, the figure was slightly lower at 870 households impacted out of 1,500 (59 per cent).
Figures show that, across the country, a total of 1.6 million children were living in households impacted by the two-child benefit cap policy in the year to April. Most of those children (1.3 million) were living in a Universal Credit household, while 270,000 were in a Child Tax Credit household.
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The two-child benefit cap prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children, and was introduced by the Conservative Government in 2017. The cap affected a record high of 450,000 households across the UK in the year to April 2024.
The majority of those households (270,000) were in work, with 180,000 being out of work households. Almost two thirds (61%) of households in receipt of Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit were affected by the policy.
You can see the number and proportion of households impacted by the two-child cap in your area by using our interactive map:
Vale of White Horse in Oxfordshire has the highest proportion of impacted households in the country. A total of 990 households in the area claim either Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit. Some 690 of those (69%) are impacted by the cap.
Hackney, Salford and Stirling have the joint next-highest ratios at 67% each. A further 11 local authorities have 66% of households impacted – Lincoln, Epping Forest, Fenland, Tower Hamlets, Maidstone, Medway, Swale, Tonbridge and Malling, Tewkesbury, East Ayrshire, and Torfaen.
Joseph Howes, Chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition and CEO of Buttle UK said: “The two-child limit just has to go.
“If the aim is to reduce child poverty, there is no way for the new Labour government to keep this policy in place when the evidence shows that the number of children impacted is increasing year on year. Children living in poverty cannot wait any longer – this shameful policy must be scrapped, the time for action is now.”
A Government spokesperson said: “No child should be in poverty – that’s why our new cross-government taskforce will develop an ambitious child poverty strategy to tackle the crisis.
“And we will deliver on our commitment to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between different regions of England to ensure every child enjoys a healthy childhood. Alongside this urgent work, we will roll out free breakfast clubs in all primary schools while we grow the economy and make work pay for hardworking families in every part of the country.”
Top 20 highest ratios
Vale of White Horse: 69%
Hackney: 67%
Salford: 67%
Stirling: 67%
Lincoln: 66%
Epping Forest: 66%
Fenland: 66%
Tower Hamlets: 66%
Maidstone: 66%
Medway: 66%
Swale: 66%
Tonbridge and Malling: 66%
Tewkesbury: 66%
East Ayrshire: 66%
Torfaen: 66%
Castle Point: 65%
Harlow: 65%
Thurrock: 65%
Burnley: 65%
Halton: 65%
Gravesham: 65%
Rushmoor: 65%
West Berkshire: 65%